BCCI informs ICC India won’t travel to Pakistan for 2025 Champions Trophy

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially informed the International Cricket Council (ICC) that India will not be traveling to Pakistan to participate in the 2025 Champions Trophy.

According to sources, the BCCI communicated to the ICC that it had been advised by the Indian government not to send the team to Pakistan for the tournament.

The 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, scheduled to take place from February 19 to March 9, 2025, in Pakistan, was set to feature eight teams: Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, and South Africa.

However, India’s decision not to travel has now created complications for the ICC and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), who will need to explore contingency plans for the tournament.

The potential solution discussed is the use of a hybrid model, where some matches would be played in Pakistan, while others would be held at a neutral venue. However, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi had ruled out the possibility of a hybrid model on Friday, insisting that no such discussions had taken place.

ESPNcricinfo understands that contingency plans for a hybrid model were already discussed some months ago, and the UAE, due to its proximity to Pakistan, is being considered as the most likely alternative venue. Sri Lanka is also reportedly on the shortlist.

The BCCI’s position was conveyed earlier this week, though it is unclear whether this was an oral or written communication.

Naqvi also indicated that any decision regarding future travel between India and Pakistan would depend on government approval, stressing that any Pakistani team visit to India would require a government decision, similar to the situation with the Asia Cup in 2023.

The ICC, PCB, and BCCI have been contacted for official comments on the matter, but no response has been received yet.

The 2025 Champions Trophy, which will feature two groups of four teams followed by semi-finals and a final, is an important event on the international cricket calendar.

However, given the ongoing political tensions between India and Pakistan, the two nations have not played a bilateral series since Pakistan’s white-ball tour of India in 2012-13.

India has not traveled to Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup, despite Pakistan participating in several ICC events hosted by India, including the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

The situation has also impacted the scheduling and preparations for the Champions Trophy. A scheduled event in Lahore next week to announce the tournament’s schedule and ticketing details is expected to be postponed as a result of these developments.

With just 100 days left until the start of the tournament, the ICC and PCB face increasing pressure to finalize arrangements, with uncertainty surrounding the final format of the event.